Safety device for fire extinguishers



Feb l5, 1944. F. FREDRIKSEN 2,341,708

SAFETY DEVICE FOR FIRE EXTINGUISHERS Filed Jan. 14, 1943 Patented Feb.15, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE .SAFETY DEVICE 'FOR FIREEXTINGUISHERS 4 vFred Fredrksen, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 14, 1943,-Serial No.4.2,395

(cries- 30) 5 Claims.

This invention yrelates toga safety device for re `extinguishers `and'has as Iits 'principal object .to provide va safety device which issimple :in construction, economical zin .manufacture and highly eicientin use.`

It is another object 'of `this invention to provide a means f or havingva visible check `against any illegal orY unwarranted tampering withfire .prevention equipment.

Another objectfof fmyginventionis to provide a `removable seal wherebyto Ycompletely guard the hose .connection and Lnozzle of an extinguisherand yet :permit immediate use thereof without the use :of'tools orinstrumentalities other than human hands.

.Still another object of` this invention .is :to yprovide adurable'coveringgforvital portions of a :lire vextinguisher whichcovering 'itself alsorprovides arecord bearinggmeanswhich is `at alltimes visible Vupon the most cursory inspection.

Other objects will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention ,consists inthe novel-combination and `arrangement ofparts to-be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by' a reference to theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a vperspective view of va pressure type re extinguisherwiththe Jpreferredform of im new safety device associated therewith;

Fig. `2 is a blank of the preferred form of my new `safety device asseen -on the inside face.

thereof before folding and assembly;

Fig. 3 is Aa Vfragmentary verticalsectional detail View through the:safety vdevice A:and extinguisher as seen :along line ..3--3 in Fig.-11;

Fig. 4 is :a lfragmentary horizontal .sectional detail view `through mynew safety device as seen along line 4-4 ,in Fig. 1*;

li'ig. :5 is aside elevational view .of a pump type extinguisher showinga `modified 'form of my I safety :device :associated therewith;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of another lform of pump A typeextinguisher kshowing the Vmodiled form of safety device illustrated inFig. 5 associated therewith;

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary perspectivev View of va modification of 'thelower end Yof :my newsafety demce; and

Fig. 8 is a cross-,sectional detail AView of the sheath embodied in theinvention.

As seen in the vdrawing .my safety device 'is adapted ifor'use on ireextinguishers of the -conventiona-l 'and ywelt-.known `type as .aprotective measure to at all times indicate the readiness ofthefequipmentfor operation. Inpractice, equipment such as these fireextinguishers are placed l'on racks 'in convenient places in a buildingso that they may be available when an emergency arises. Withsuchequipment openly displayed there is a possibility of their beingtampered with; hoses torn; objects inserted into the nozzle by`pransksters hence plugging the outlet; and it is not uncommon to Viindthat the entire contents of fthe extinguisher tank have been -removedwithout the proprietor being aware of such "fact Negligence andcomplacency on vthe part `of the building management or of personsresponsible for the Vworkability of such equipment Yhas `occasioned askipping of 'their periodical inspection and hence -in some instancesthe equipment has iproved faulty or totally useless when an :actualapplication of its `use is required. It is a well-known fact that anearly application of Afire extinguishing solutions prevent furtherdamage by re and it is to this end 'that my lnew safety device servesits purpose.

The safety device is preferably, 'though not necessarily, vconstructedfrom a single sheet of paper I0 of a suitable weight and thickness 'toprevent accidental bursting of the bre structure. As seen in Fig. 2 thepaperis cut in blanks such as the blank II to provide :a front portionI2 and aback portion I3 `joined vby a pleat or double fold web 'I4 whichvwhen folded in the manner `shown will dispose the `free edge I5 of theback portion I3 iin a position to overlie a ilap l-I `on thecomplementary edge of the front portion I2.A The free edge I5 is thenattached to the vflap I6 bystitching I'I or the like to form anelongated sheath I8.` The blank H has a bottom nap I9 `.which is foldedaround vand over the backportion I3 to which it is 'attached bystitching I7. A portion 20 ofthe front-wall I2 eX- tends beyond 'thesheath` proper and has formed integrallytherewith a collar member 2l'by'which the sheath |18 is attached to a reextinguis'her.

In Ause the'safety device shown in Figs. 1 to Vl inclusive'is mounted ona pressure type re extinguisher generally indicated at 22 and having atank or vcontainer portion 23 with an outlet through 'an elbowconnection 24 formed thereon and connected to a ex'ible conductor orhose 25 with a nozzle 26 at its free end. The hose 25 is inserted 'intothe sheath 'IS with the nozzle 2G well guardeddown 'in the bottom of'the sheath, the Vupper edge 32 of the back portion I3 being *well aboveVthe upper end of the hose 25 and in the crevice of the elbow 24 so thatthe hose 25 cannot be removed Without lowering the sheath I8. Thepressure type flre extinguisher 22 has an open end 21 adjacent theoutlet 24 and this open end 21 is formed by a neck portion 28 havingthreading 29 thereon. The collar member 2| is mounted on the threadedneck 28 against a shoulder 30 on the tank 23 and is held in place by theconventional filler cap 3| which is threaded down tight over the openend 21 to seal the same. v

With the safety device thus secured on the extinguisher 22 it isimpossible for anyone to tamper with the hose 25 or nozzle 26 withoutremoving or tearing the sheath I8. To facili` tate a quick removal ofthe sheath I8, should necessity require, there is cut into the portionvspirit of the invention.` I, therefore, ,do not Wish to be limited tothe precise details of construction set forth, but desire to availmyself of such variations and modifications as come Within the a seriesof perforations 33 along a line coinciding with the peripheral margin ofthe collar 2|. When the use of the extinguisher is required the sheathwith hose therein is raised to a substantial horizontal plane and thesheath ripped away from the collar along the perforations. 33 and thesheath withdrawn from around the hose. It is an objectv of thisinventionto provide a safety device rwith a surface capable of receivirgprinted matter as seen in Fig. '1 which printed matter can be appliedwhile the safety device is still'in the form of the blank beforeassembly. A lead seal 34 is provided between the filler cap 3| and theportion 20 closely adjacent the perforations 33 so that no one lcanremove the cap 3| and empty the container 23 of its contents without adestruction of the safety device which upon unscrewing of the filler cap3| will be torn along the perforations 33 `as the lead seal 34 is pulledby the ller'cap, the wire 33' of this seal 34 being passed through anopening 34' formed in the portion 20.

It is therefore apparent that I have provided a novel guard for fireextinguishers whereby a mostcursory examination will reveal whether ornotthe extinguisher has been tampered with. Also by reason of thepublication of the inspection date and signature of the inspector righton the front face of the safety device, there is an assurance thatpersons responsible for the condition of flre extinguishers in aparticular building will be more careful and positive in their duty ofinspection. .-.f

In cases of the pump type extinguishersl 42-43 as shown in Figs. 5 andGthe collar 2| is severed at a point along the long axis of the frontface |2 ony the side of the collar farthest removed from the connectingportion 20 to provide a -modied collar `35 so that the tWo loose ends 3Bof thesevered Acollar can be inserted through the handle 31 of the pumptype extinguisher and be overlapped and joined by a common staple 38,paper fastener or other such well-known permanent fastener to anchor thesheath to the re extinguisher. With 'this type of collar 35 an upwardstroke of the pump handle 31 will rip the collar 35 away from the sheathI8 along the perforations 33 thus destroying the safety device andpermitting removal of the hose from the sheath.

While the length of hose 25 for conventional re extinguishers isstandard it is contemplated that-fthe sheath I8 may be made longer thanstandard size as is the sheath 39 shown in'Fig. '1- in" which eventshould the hose length be shorter than such long type sheathes 39, byreasonfof the unpredictability of the lengths of hoses,v the sheath 39may be `folded back so that scope of the appended claims.

f Having thus described my invention, what I .claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent isi 1. The .combination of a fire extinguisherhaving a flexible conduit extending therefrom, with a safety devicecomprising a sheath for surrounding and enclosing .said exible conduit,a collar integral with said 'sheath and adapted to be axed to a portionof the fire extinguisher, means to secure said collar to said portion tomaintain said sheath in relative position with respect to said flexibleconduit, said collar vhav-- ing perforations formed therein at its pointof juncture with said sheath to facilitate removal of the latter fromaround said flexible conduit without removal of said collar.

2. The combination of a fire extinguisher having a flexible conduitextending therefrom, with a safety seal comprising a paper sheathadapted to receive said flexible conduit to completely en-Y close thesame, an anchoring portion extending above the open end of said sheath,said safety seal being perforated at the=point of juncture of saidanchoring portion and said sheath, means securing said anchoring portionto said lire extinguisher,. and means afxing said anchoring portion toamovable portion of said fire` extinguisher whereby when the movableportion is moved relative to said fire extinguisher said anchoringportion will -be severed from said sheath. v i

l3. The combination of a fire extinguisher having a flexible conduitextending therefrom, with a safety seal comprising a sheet of fibrousmaterial formed to provide anelongated bag adapted to be drawn over saidflexible conduit to completely enclose the same, a portion of said sheetextending from the open end of said bag and having an'anchoring portionformed integrally therewith and being perforated at 'the line `ofjuncture with said anchoring portion, means to secure V'said anchoringportion to said fire extinguisher whereby to maintain said bag inrelative position on said flexible conduit and permit of facile removaltherefrom by tearing.

4. The combination of a fire extinguisher having a flexible conduitextending therefrom, with a safety seal comprising a sheet of fibrousIna-v terial formed to provide an elongated bagadapted to receiveprinted matter, said elongated bag havingl an open end through whichsaid'flexible conduit is insertable into said bag to completely encasesaid flexible conduit, one wall of said bag extending beyond the openend of said bag and having an anchoring portion formed integrallytherewith, means for securing said anchoring portion to said fireextinguisher, means for connecting said anchoring portion to a movableelement of said fire extinguisher said anchoring portion having.perforations formed therein at its point of juncture withA said one wallof said bag to facilitate severance of said anchoring portion from saidbag when the movable element of re extinguisher is moved.

5. The combination of a re extinguisher having a flexible conduitextending therefrom, with a safety seal comprising a sheet of fibrousmaterial formed to provide a sheath for said conduit to completelyenclose the same, a portion of said sheet extending from the open end ofsaid sheath and having anjI lanchoring portion formed integrallytherewith, and means to secure said anchoring portion to said firevextinguisher whereby to maintain said sheath in relative position onsaid conduit and permit of facile removal therefrom by tearing.

FRED FREDRIKSEN.

